Manchester City have pulled out of signing midfielder Mateo Kovacic after baulking at Real Madrid’s valuation, according to Sky Sports.
The news broadcaster reports on their website that City were considering a move for the 24-year-old La Liga flyer this summer after rivals Chelsea snapped up target Jorginho, but have now made the dfinitive move to end their hunt after being stumped by the Spanish giants’ valuation of £80 million their Croatian midfielder.
Kovacic was a part of the Croatia side that reached the final of the World Cup, where they lost 4-2 to France on Sunday (15 July) – but he now does not look likely to head to the Etihad after the club were seemingly not willing to pay the asking price.
OPINION
The fact that Manchester City have baulked at Real Madrid’s asking price for Kovacic is surprising, as they are notorious in the footballing world for being big spenders. City are not usually a club to walk away from a big money price tag, but this may be because they are not desperate to bring Kovacic to the Etihad. Boss Pep Guardiola already has an array of midfielders, including recent signing Riyad Mahrez from Leicester City, so he may not have considered the Croatian to be a top priority at the moment. However, £80 million is too high despite Kovacic’s evident talents – he is good, but not £80 million good. He is arguably worth more into the £40-£50 million mark, and it seems surprising that Real Madrid are asking so much despite having funds after the sale of Cristiano Ronaldo to Juventus. Manchester City are fine with the players they already have at their disposal, and do not need to worry about such an excessive price tag.